Piano-playing mechanism and the like.



G. W. ATKINSON. PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APBH'S, 1910.

' Patented Dec.5,1911.

3 SHEETS-$313111 1.

INVENTO s E s 5 E N T w Aw'y 'c. w. ATKINSON.

, PIANO PLAYING-MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

urmduxonnub APR.9,1910.

' Patented Deg-5,1911. f

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNES6E$ I AP PLIGATION FILED APR. 9, 1910.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wmvsssss COLUMBIA PLANOGIAPII 60-. WASHINGTON n c CLAUDE WILLIAM ATKINSON, OF GREAT MISSENDEN, ENGLAND.

PIANO-PLAYING MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application filed April 9, 1910. Serial No. 554,347.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE WILLIAM ATKINSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Little Hampden, Great Missenden, in the county of Bucks, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Piano-Playin Mechanism and the Like, of which the folIowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to piano playing mechanism and the like, and has for its object the arrangement and construction of motor mechanism for operating the music record sheet.

In motor mechanism as at present known the motor consists of a series of pairs of bellows or motor pneumatics operating a series of cranks on the power shaft of the motor and provided with valves either of the'slide or tappet pattern for the distribution of'energy. The motor drives the rolling and re-rolling mechanism through belts or chains and spur gearing. The disadvan-v tage of this system is that a large proportion of the power of the motor is absorbed in driving the valve gear, in overcoming the frictional losses of belts, chains and gear, and in the large number of bearings in- .volved in the transmission. In addition this motor mechanism is bulky in form and difiicult of arrangement owing to its widely spread construction. By my invention I overcome all these difficulties and inconveniences as my rolling and motor mechanisms are entirely self contained.

In order that the invention may be thebetter understood, Iwill now proceed to describe the same in relation to the accompanyin drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.

Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved motor and rolling mechanism. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing one of the bellows in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the valve mechanism with one wall removed in order to show the interior construction. Fig. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the valve actuating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a view of the clutch gear by which the motion of the bellows is transmitted to the driving shaft. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the extreme left hand part of Fig. 1 drawn to a larger scale and taken in the plane of the shaft. Flg. 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the valve mechanism for two bellows in two positions of operation.

My invention consists in arranging the driving elements a of the motor mechanism entirely within the rolling cylinder 6. These driving elements consist of bellows c which are rigidly disposed within the rolling cylinder b and are mounted upon tubular supports (5 rigidly attached to a supporting device mounted upon the base board f in any suitable manner. There are two series of bellows, each series consistin of three, and the series being arranged axially along the axis of the rolling cylinder 6.

The rolling cylinder 6 is mounted at one end upon an end support 6 loosely mounted.

upon the shaft 9 which is journaled in a bearing h at the right hand end, and at the other end in the device 6. The left hand end of the rolling cylinder is carried upon a series of antifriction devices mounted on the device 6.

The bellows c is composed of a flexible envelop within which are mounted a series of perforated diaphragms or stiffening plates 0 disposed in the folds so as to maintain each fold in position against the collapsing effect of external pressure. The other end 0 of the bellows is maintained in position by its innermost side being attached to a device 0 loosely mounted upon the shaft 9 in such a way as to allow the bellows duringthe motion of contraction and expansion to make what may be termed as a circumferential stroke.

In order tov transmit the movement of the bellows o to the motor shaft 9 I' provide a frictional driving devicez' which consists of a pulley 2' with as many grooves as there are bellows; in the particular case shown in the illustration six are provided. In connection with each groove on the pulley 71 is a gripping clutch com-posed of a lever i pivoted at i upon the projecting arm 2' carried on the farther end of the plate 0 of the bellows 0. Toward the oppositeend of the lever i a chain or cordz' is attached in such a way as to produce a frictional driving efiect of the lever i in conjunction with the cord 2' upon the pulley i in one direction while in the other direction of movement the frictional drive is non-existent allowing the device 2' to move backward without carrying the pulley i with it. Upon the arm 2' a finger i is mounted, the free end of which lies over the particular groove of the pulley associated with the particular arm 2' in order to prevent the cord 2' from leaving its groove on the release movement. It will be noticed that each bellows carries a projecting arm 2' with its corresponding lever 2' and cord in the respective grooves on the pulley 11 The fulcrum from which the power is exerted to drive the shaft 9 is obtained by the fixture of the stationary part of the bellows 0 upon the device 6 While the other member 0 of the bellows is loosely mounted upon the shaft 9 through the device 0.

By the arrangement of six bellows within the cylinder Z) any dead point in the motion is avoided in accordance with the well known conditions which obtain in motors with more than two separate motive devices giving an overlap of driving effort.

In order to get a return stroke of the bellows, pulleys 7c are mounted on the tubes d and around the said pulleys cords k are led, the ends of each cord being attached to an attaching device mounted on the movable plate 0 of two adjacent bellows 0, so that when one bellows is being contracted by the vacuum on the power stroke it draws the other bellows into an expanded position by means of the cord 70 each bellows acting as the expanding agent for the other bellows of which it is a pair.

To the support 6 is attached a flat sectioned pipe Z which rests upon a base board f and serves as a rigid mounting for the support 6 so as to communicate with the interior of a vacuum chest Z having three extending hollow arms Z This pipelis connected to the pump or exhausting bellows of ordinary construction forming part of the playing mechanism. At the end of each arm Z two chambers Z and Z are provided. The ends of the chambers Z and Z the edges of the arms Z? and the end of the vacuum chest Z are left open and adapted to make a joint against the left hand faces of the support 6; a suitable leather washer Z being disposed between the opposing faces in order to make an air-tight joint. The parts are held in position by means of a screw or bolt Z passing through the center of the vacuum chest Z and engaging with the support 6 or with a nut on the right hand side thereof. The chambers Z and Z are disposed in such a position that they register in each case with the open ends of the tubes d which are fixedly mounted in the support 6. Valve seats Z are arranged on each side of the chambers Z and P with which seats co-act valves Z mounted upon a common spindle Z the valves being arranged so. that vacuum and atmospheric air are admitted alternately to the tubes Z and Z as the valves are moved from one end of their stroke to the other.

The operating gear (see Figs. t and 7) for the valves Z consists of a rocking tumbler Z pivoted about a stud Z and having a notch or opening Z engaging on both sides of a disk Z rigidly mounted on the stem Z Adjacent to the tumbler Z a rocking device m is pivotally mounted upon a stud m to the said rocking device m springs m are attached at one end while the other end of the spring is attached in each case to a lug Z upon the tumbler Z. The rocking device m has a flange or rim m provided with two notches m and one notch m The tumbler Z is provided with depending studs Z which are engaged by the rim 171. againstspring pressure from the spring 172 and preventing any movement of the tumbler Z until the particular stud Z can pass through m in an inward direction and m in an outward direction. It will be seen that when the valve is at one end of the stroke one stud Z is locked by contacting with the outside of the rim m while the other stud Z is situated within the rim m The rocking device m is adapted to be rocked first one way and then the other way, through the projecting pin m, such rocking first putting one spring in tension and releasing the other spring and then reversing these conditions on the next stroke in the reverse direction. It will be noticed that as the device an is rocked and one of the springs is extended no movement of the tumbler Z takes place until the stud Z comes opposite to the slot m when that particular stud Z enters within the rim m while the other stud Z comes out from within the rim m through the notch m on the reverse operation of the rocking device m the tumbler Z moves. in the opposite direction under the tension of the other spring of.

The pin m of the rotary device an projects into the path of one or more pins m carried upon a disk m rotatably mounted upon the screw Z and having a dust projecting rim m". This disk wa is rocked backward and forward by means of an arm 0 carried on the movable part c of one of the bellows 0 so that when that particular bellows expands and contracts then the disk m is. rocked through a given arc. It will be noticed that the rotary device m for one set of valves has only one pin m and such pin moves both. sides of the pin m while the next pin m is operated by two pins m one on each side of the pin m but in this case the particular pin m does not pass 1 either pins m In the third instance which is that shown at the bottom of Fig. 3 there are two pins m which are so disposed that they both pass the pin m in both directions of movement. By this arrangement it will be seen that owing to the simple oscillation of the disk m the valves Z are operated in proper sequence in both directions to give proper sequence of connection to the six bellows in turn.

The passage of air through the motor may be exemplified by dealing with one pair of motor elements as the other two pairs will act in sequence in a similar manner. The exhausting action is effected by air drawn away through the pipe Z by the usual pumper. The pipe Z is in communication with the vacuum chest Z from which the hollow arms Z lead to the chambers Z and 1*. Taking the pair of motor elements atthe top of Fig. 1 and at the left of Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the air is drawn past the open internal valve Z so as to exhaust the left hand bellows 0 in Fig. l and collapse it by external pressure. This action at the same time expands the right hand bellows by means of the cord is, the necessary air displacement taking place through the open external valve Z on the lower side of the chamber Z. When the stroke is finished the valve gear reverses the position of the valves Z opening the upper external valve Z to the atmosphere and closing the upper internal valve Z to the exhaust pressure and opens the lower internal valve to the exhaust pressure and closes the lower external valve to the atmosphere and so on.

In conjunction with the shaft 9 a positive clutch mechanism a is adapted to act alternately with the rolling cylinder 6 on the one hand for the playing operation and the reverse gear a on the other hand to effect the re-rollingof the record sheet in the usual manner. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the clutch n is formedas a sliding sleeve on the shaft 9 and carries a pin adapted to engage or not with the end of the cylinder 6; the said sleeve is driven by means of pins in the boss of the wheel 7%. It will be seen that during the winding action of the cylinder the clutch n with its pin must be withdrawn from the cylinder end. However when it is desired to rewind the roll the clutch n is engaged with the cylinder end and the usual coupling wheels are rocked into position between the wheel n and the rewind spindle in known manner.

Claims: I

1. A motor mechanism for the operation of the music record sheet of a piano playing mechanism and the like consisting of a rotatable hollow roller adapted to operate the music record sheet, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller each adapted to have one part mounted upon a fixed support independent of the roller and to intermittently communicate the motion of the other part to the said roller, a uni-directional driving mechanism through which the said motion is transmitted to the said roller, air control means, and means for operating said air control operated by or in connection with said driving mechanism whereby the series of pneumatic motor elements are contracted and allowed to expand alternately in succession by the variation of atmospheric pressure within said motor elements, substantially as described.

2. In a motor mechanism of the type described in combination, a rotatable hollow roller, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller each adapted to have one part mounted upon a fixed support independent of the roller and to intermittently communicate the motion of the other part to the said roller, a uni-directional driving mechanism through which the said motion is transmitted to the said roller, each motor element having its fixed and movable end plates disposed substantially radially about a central shaft, means for maintaining the movable end plate in a circumferential path about the said shaft, means for fixedly mounting the fixed end plates upon a rigid support,-air control means, and means for operating said air control operated by or in connection with said driving mechanism whereby the series of pneumatic motor elements are contracted and allowed to expand alternately in succession by the variation of atmospheric pressure within said motor elements, substantially as described.

3. In a motor mechanism of the type described, in combination, a rotatable hollow roller, a series of collapsible motor elements arranged within said roller each adapted to have one part mounted upon a fixed support independent of the roller and to have a movable part, a reciprocating frictional driving device, means for communicating the motion of the said movable part to said reciprocating frictional driving device adapted to communicate the power to the. driving mechanism in one direction and to have freemotion in the other direction on the return stroke of the motor element, air cont-r01 means, and means for operating said air control operated by or in connection with said driving mechanism whereby a series of pneumatic motor elements are contracted and allowed to expand alternately in succession by the variation of atmospheric pressure within said motor elements, substantially as described.

4. In a motor mechanism of the type described, in combination, a rotatable hollow roller, a fixed support of hollow formation, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller each adapted to have one part .mounted upon said fixed support independent of said roller and one part movable relative to said support, balancing means connected to each pair of bellows adapted to expand the non-operative bellows by the collapsing of the operative bellows, means for controlling the air to the pairs of bellows and operative means for effecting the control from the reciprocation of one pair of bellows, substantially as described.

5. In a motor mechanism of the type described, a rotatable hollow roller, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller, each motor ele ment having a flexible envelop adapted to allow the collapsing of the element in the direction of its stroke, one or more sustaining plates within said motor elements adapted to prevent the collapsing of the envelop in a direction substantially normal "to the path of movement of the motor element, means for transmitting the uni-directional drive to the driving mechanism, and air control means by which the pressure of air is varied in the motor elements successively, substantially as described.

6. In a motor mechanism of the type described, in combination, a rotatable hollow roller, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller, means for communicating a uni-directional drive from the said motor elements to the driving mechanism, air control means comprising a vacuum chamber, hollow arms radiating therefrom, valve seatings in said arms, trunk pipes disposed each side of said arms leading to the motor elements, a double valve adapted to co-act with said seatings, and reciprocating means operated by the motor elements for working the said double Valves, substantially as described.

7. In a motor mechanism of the type described in combination a rotatable hollow roller, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller, means for transmitting therefrom a unidirectional drive to the driving mechanism, air control means for controlling the dis tribution of air to the said motor elements and operating mechanism for the said air control means consisting of a rocking tumbler adapted to move a set of valves,.a rotary element adapt-ed to oscillate about a pivot, two springs connecting the tumbler to the rotary element and a locking rim or flange upon said rotary element having three gaps; connecting means carried by the said tumbler adapted to contact with the rim of the rotary element and to pass through the gaps of the rotary element under pressure from one or other of the said springs and means for oscillating the rotary element through a given are, substantially as described.

8. In a motor mechanism of the type described, in combination a rotatable hollow roller, a series of collapsible pneumatic motor elements arranged within said roller, means for transmitting therefrom a unidirectional drive to the driving mechanism, air control means for controlling the distribution of air to the said motor elements and operating mechanism for the said air control, means consisting of a rocking tumbler adapted to move a set of valves, a rotary element adapted to oscillate about a pivot, two springs connecting the tumbler to the rotary element and a locking rim or flange upon said rotary element having three gaps; connecting means carried by the said tumbler adapted to contact with the rim of the rotary element and to pass through the gaps of the rotary element under pressure from oneor other of the said springs, means for oscillating the rotary element through a given are and an operating gear common to all the sets of valve gearings, a series of devices adapted to co-act with the said rotary element so that the said valves are operated in proper sequence to produce the operation of the motor elements in proper sequence, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE WILLIAM ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

REGINALD WILLIAM JAMES, CHARLES J. R. BULLOUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). 0. 

